Constellation Lyra
by LindsayQ
Summary: She’s a human toddler, therefore illogical in almost every way. It totally makes sense that she’d adore Spock, correct? Third part now up!
1. Chapter 1

Title: Constellation Lyra: The beginning  
Author: AtticusFinchFan  
Summary: She's a human toddler, therefore illogical in almost every way. It totally makes sense that she'd adore Spock, correct?  
Disclaimer: Star Trek and all associated belong to G. Roddenberry. I'm just playing with them for a bit. Lyra is mine though.  
Warnings: None except for a bit of swearing  
A/N: My first ever Star Trek fanfic. Tell me what you think please. EDITED.

---

This is the beginning:

Scotty had found Lyra wrapped in a heavy wool blanket sound asleep on the transporter with pigtails in her downy soft blonde hair and tiny pink circular wire framed glasses on her snow-white face as soon as coming on duty one morning. He quickly took her to sickbay and waited with her until Dr. McCoy had checked her out. She had stayed asleep thankfully through the whole thing. After only a quick physical check and then a run over with one of his scanners, Dr. McCoy had quickly deduced that she was perfectly healthy, couldn't have been more than 2 and that she was most definitely not from their time period. Smiling as he gently tugged on her button clad overalls.

Kirk followed closely by Spock came into sickbay just as Dr. McCoy was finishing up and managed to make it to the bio-bed just before the as of then unnamed Lyra woke up.

Time seemed to stand still as her eyes fluttered open. Her bottom lip started to tremble, but stopped as soon as her crystal blue eyes landed on the pointy-eared man standing just beyond her reach. She giggled every so quietly and everyone in the room exhaled sharply.

"Oh, she's adorable!" Everyone turned with the exclaim made by Nurse Chapel, who stood just inside the door staring at Lyra.

Kirk and Spock made room for her beside them as she rushed over.

She leant slightly and grinned at the child. "Hello, sweetheart."

Lyra turned her eyes from Spock to Nurse Chapel and flashed the smitten nurse with a bright, tiny-toothed smile, before turning her attention back to Spock. Kirk followed her line of sight and smirked when he realized her fascination was directed solely on Spock.

"It seems as though, Mr. Spock, that you have an admire of sorts."

Spock turned eyes on Kirk and then back on Lyra who continued to stare and quirked an eyebrow. "It is impolite to stare so intently, is it not, Captain?"

Kirk suddenly turned to McCoy. McCoy blinked. As if urging him on. "Well, yes..." Kirk began, "in most cases it is, but, she's too young quite yet to realize what exactly is right and what's wrong. To her you're different and she's going by instinct. It's human nature-" he paused and looked at Dr. McCoy. "She is human, right Doctor?"

McCoy nodded. "100%."

Kirk nodded back and turned to Spock. "It's human nature to be drawn to differences. In essense, its like when you're told not to do something, in most cases you find yourself compelled to do it anyway."

"That's disobeying an order, Captain. Why would you be compelled to disobey?"

"We just are, Spock." Kirk answered in an exasperated tone. "I don't know why." He stopped and exhaled. "All I'm trying to stay is that she doesn't mean anything by it."

Spock paused for a moment to process the information and then turned to Lyra and quirked his eyebrow again. "Interesting."

Lyra giggled.

An hour later found Lyra in the lap of Uhura, happily slamming her small palms against the console. Giggling like mad whenever something beeped or flashed. Sometimes Lyra would find a button and accidentally page someone, Uhura would laugh every time and then tell the paged person calmly that it was just an accident and quickly turn the button off.

Nurse Chapel, who had just gone on break, came in just as Lyra giggled echoed through the deck. Her face broke out into a smile almost immediately as she quickly covered the short space between the entrance and Uhura. "She's gorgeous, isn't she?"

"She is," Uhura agreed with an easy smile. "So happy." She sighed in admiration as she ran the fingers of her right hand gently over Lyra's cheek. Lyra stopped for a moment, turned to Uhura and smiled and then turned back to the console and slammed her palms down on it again. Nano seconds later Spock's voice echoed through the speaker. "Yes, Lieutenant Uhura?"

The women's eyes met and Nurse Chapel smirked as Uhura told him that it had been their young charge, and that nothing was wrong.

"I see." Spock said.

"Sorry, Mr. Spock."

"I shall be there in 2 minutes."

Uhura drew back ever so slightly in surprise, but nodded anyway as she cut the connection. "Yes, sir."

Not one to lie, two minutes later Spock entered and headed straight for the female trio.

Lyra stopped her banging momentarily and stared up at Spock. She grinned when she realized who it was.

"Would you please refrain from-" Spock began, looking down at the pale child evenly.

"She won't understand you, Spock," Uhura explained gently, running her fingers through one of Lyra's pigtails. "She's too young."

Spock straightened his back and nodded. "As I have been told." But continued on with Lyra anyway. "Would you please refrain from pressing buttons? It is most frustrating."

Lyra continued to grin at the pointy-eared man unperturbed by his question.

"See? I told- wait!" Uhura tried to pull Lyra away from Spock's advancing hand, but wasn't fast enough and could only hold the child when she started to seize. As soon as Spock's hand had touched her face, her eyes shot to the back of her head and her tiny body stiffened. Both Uhura and Spock jumped back in surprise, and as soon as Spock's hand lowered Lyra stopped seizing and went completely limp. Uhura jumped to her feet in a panic and pulled the child to her chest. "What did you do?!" she cried quickly advancing on the immobile alien. "What did you do? Spock!"

"Here, let me see." Nurse Chapel ordered gently and opened her arms for Lyra's form to be laid in.

Uhura obeyed and went down with Nurse Chapel as she lowered the child to the floor. Both women gasped as they eyed her frighteningly discoloured lips and ghostly pale skin. "She's stopped breathing. Uhura, please begin resuscitation efforts, I must call Dr. McCoy."

Uhura nodded her head vigorously and began pressing gently on Lyra's chest.

"Move, Spock." Chapel ordered as she advanced to the doors. Spock blinked and backed up as far as back and as quickly as he could, and only stopped when he almost literally fell sideways into the Captain's chair. He readjusted himself seconds later, ran a hand down the seams of his shirt, and did nothing more except bow his head and stand, frozen, just beyond Uhura's line of sight.

He stood all through the chaos created by Dr. McCoy racing through the doors, accessing Lyra's still form, taking the child into his arms and racing back through the doors. He stood still through the disapproving glares of the communications expert, the nurse, and the doctor as they passed him on their way through the entrance, on their way to sickbay. He stood still until he couldn't stand any longer and collapsed into Kirk's chair.

Kirk entered the sick bay midway through McCoy's examination. He looked around for a second, noticed Nurse Chapel and Uhura standing just beyond the opposite side of the bio-bed basically clinging to one another as they watched the doctor work, and immediately inquired about the situation.

"Spock did that mind mumbo jumbo on the girl and caused a seizure. She stopped breathing as soon as he took his hand away and I've yet been able to get her to start again."

The captain swallowed hard on an unnameable feeling clogging his throat and choked out. "How long do you have?"

"If I'm not able to get her breathing in the next couple minutes-"

Dr. McCoy froze suddenly and eyed the doorway. Kirk spun around and locked eyes almost immediately with Spock. "Dr. McCoy, I came to see if I could be of any-"

"No!" Uhura explode. "Look what you did! Look!" She pointed her thin finger towards Lyra's prone form. Spock's eyes inevitably followed. "You did that to her. She may die because you-"

"Uhura!" Kirk exclaimed. "Be quiet!"

A machine beeped and Dr. McCoy exhaled happily. "Got her."

Everyone, everyone except Spock, converged on the doctor. Instead, Spock stepped back in time with everyone else stepping forward and bowed his head again. They were all so involved with Lyra, waiting for her to open her eyes that no one noticed the Alien slip through the door.

Contrary to what everyone had hoped and believed, Lyra hadn't woken up. After waiting anxiously for almost an hour, silently watching the hypnotising rise and fall of the child's chest, the group began to realize nothing was going to happen in the coming minutes and slowly dispersed back to their intended duties. They continued to visit throughout the day, and grew increasingly upset when the conclusion of every visit ending the same way it began.

Dr. McCoy smiled to himself as he ambled into the sickbay around 5 AM the next morning. The power the child seemed to have over his friends was rather fascinating, but nowhere near surprising. She was absolutely adorable. Not that he'd ever admit it to anyone but himself.

The lights came on; McCoy looked towards Lyra's bed and ended up swallowing a scream as his eyes locked on the sharp brown eyes of Spock. He sat ramrod straight in a chair he'd situated to face both her bed and the door. He didn't look the least bit tired. "Spock,"

Spock rose obediently and crossed his hands behind his back. "Sometime during the night I awoke and decided to visit the child. I had learned from a passing yeoman earlier that she was still in sickbay. I've sat with her most of the night. There has been no change in her condition."

McCoy nodded politely and continued on his way to his desk. Once turned from Spock, he bowed his head and asked. "Why'd you do it, Spock?"

Without missing a beat Spock began. "I wanted to see if I could find out her origin."

"Why? Why did you need to know that?" He exploded without warning, turning wide angry eyes on the blank face of the first officer. "She's a little girl. A human little girl. She's come forward Lord knows how many centuries. What else did you need to know?"

"I apologize for what happened. I did not know-"

"Couldn't you have tested it on someone older? Some who could handle such a thing?"

"It appears to be that she has what her civilization called epilepsy." Spock said calmly, as if he hadn't been the victim of Dr. McCoy's tirade. "It is likely that if you were to give her a GME shot she would wake up."

McCoy's mouth snapped shut as eyed the alien suspiciously. "How would you know? What did you-"

"I did nothing more." Spock assured. "I was able to figure that out from the 1.6 seconds were joined."

"Well, if you knew about it yesterday why didn't you tell me?"

Spock bowed his head slightly and McCoy watched as what could only be described as regret passed over his tight features. "I could not for I had forgotten."

After a couple moments of tense silence, McCoy decided to push no further and just nodded. "I have one vial of GME left, would you get it for me? It's in the top shelf on the right hand side."

Spock nodded and disappeared. Only to reappear seconds later with a small vial of a thick mauve coloured liquid.

The doctor nodded his thanks and quickly inserted it into a Hypospray and then slowly injected it into Lyra's little arm.

The results were almost instantaneous. McCoy had just drawn the Hypospray away when Lyra started to cry, and not even a second later her eyes shot open. Her body tensed again as she began assessing her surroundings, but soon relaxed a bit when she recognized the deep blue eyes of the doctor staring down at her. "You were right, Spock!" he exclaimed victoriously. He looked up with a smile, which quickly morphed into a grin when he realized that all the alien's focus and attention was on the girl on the bio-bed. He somehow knew that Spock hadn't heard a thing he'd said or seen a thing he'd. He only heard _her _cries and only seen _her _eyes.

Contrary to what McCoy believed would happen, Lyra, as soon as her eyes settled on Spock, ceased crying and raised her arms towards him in what McCoy recognized as the common toddler gesture that usually meant "up". So, when Spock looked towards the doctor with pure puzzlement in his usually sharp eyes, all McCoy could do was laugh as he told him what she wanted. "She wants you to pick her up."

"Pick her up?" Spock repeated.

Dr. McCoy nodded.

"But I'm the one who almost caused her dea-"

"That's the great thing with young children, Spock." McCoy explained happily. "They love unconditionally and also forgive and forget almost immediately." Just in case Spock still didn't understand he made it impeccably clear. "She's still your biggest fan."

"Is it advisable, doctor?"

"Go for it!"

Spock stared, clueless, for a couple more seconds before he nodded, and lifted the child effortlessly into his arms. Lyra flashed him a big content grin, then wrapped her thin arms around Spock's neck and settled her head on his shoulder, directly in the curve of his neck and closed her eyes again.

"Well, I'll be damned." Dr. McCoy whispered eyeing the alien and child in front of him. "I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't-"

"Doctor McCoy, is she awake?"

Both man and alien turned their eyes towards the door where Nurse Chapel and Uhura both stood frozen halfway in.

Uhura was the first one to shake the shock away. Stepping quickly into the room she flashed Spock a disapproving glare, and then turned to McCoy and began, "Doctor, I-"

"Dammit, Uhura, look at her. She's fine! Spock figured out she had epilepsy and I gave her a shot. She woke up almost immediately. Her cries ceased as soon as her eyes settled on him. Almost like he was the only one she saw." McCoy smiled at the memory. "Like he's the only one she wants."

Uhura turned rapidly cooling brown eyes on Spock. Spock looked at her and blinked.

"Please accept my apologies, Lieutenant Uhura," he nodded towards Chapel," nurse Chapel, all I had wanted to know was her origin. I did not want to cause her or any one of you any pain." and then Spock turned his attention to Dr. McCoy. "Doctor, how would one get the child to loosen her hold a bit? It's getting to be somewhat uncomfortable."

For the rest of Spock's long life he would never understand why Dr. McCoy burst into laughter so suddenly after he had asked his question. Or why nurse Chapel and Uhura soon followed with loud giggles. He hadn't done anything foolish. Had he?

Not one to enjoy being out of the loop, Spock decided quickly to take his leave. Knowing that there was no way he was going to be able to leave without the child currently wrapped around his body like a spider monkey, he carefully twisted his neck around a bit to allow for more mobility and then wrapped an arm under her backside, and began walking towards the door as dignified as ever. He skilfully avoided the amused face of Nurse Chapel as he passed her by the door and continued on his way down the hallway.

He spent the entire walk back to his quarters doing the exact same thing he had had to do in sickbay, avoid the curiously amused faces of the people he passed on the way.

As soon as he and the child made it back to his quarters, Spock set her down gently on the nearest surface and quirked an eyebrow when he noticed that she was looking at him with a sleepy smile and much the same look in her small eyes. However, unlike the others, her look seemed to be tinged with something he just could not put his finger on.

"Very interesting."

-END-

P.S: Lyra is yet unnamed, but she will be named in the upcoming chapters if I want to write more.


	2. Origination & Mitigation

Title: Constellation Lyra: Origination & Mitigation  
Author: AtticusFinchFan  
Summary: Lyra's named, but will she be around long enough to use it?  
Warning: Can't think of anything. UnBetaed  
A/N: So, what do ya know? I listened. I hope that the few readers enjoy this!

This is the middle:

Lyra went without a name for almost 2 weeks. Of course, everyone had their own names for the child, Kirk had taken to calling her "Blondie," Dr. McCoy and Sulu called her "Smiley", Scotty simply called her, "Lass," Chekov called her "Devushka," the Russian variant of girl. Both Uhura and Nurse Chapel decided to stick with tradition, and continued calling her "Sweetheart," Spock was the only one who had refrained from calling her nothing other than "the child," To everyone's immense relief Lyra had had any adverse reactions to the little epileptic episode she had had earlier. In fact, everyone was certain it had given her more energy. Lyra was no longer satisfied with just sitting on laps. She had found her adventurous streak, and, almost always, after wriggling free of the hold of whoever had her, would crawl as fast as she could to the other side of the bridge to investigate whatever had caught her attention over there.

Uhura and Kirk came to a joint decision a couple minutes after finally getting Lyra to stop crying after catching her tiny leg in the doors on her way out, that they had to find a way to contain her. As soon as he was off duty, Kirk informed Scotty of their idea, and when they came in the next morning, a tiny metallic playpen, complete with a built in mirror and mini abacus, sat on the floor directly adjacent to the Captain's chair. Thankfully, other than a minute tantrum in the beginning, Lyra seemed to enjoy her self just as well in the playpen as she did roaming the floor of the bridge.

Even though Lyra had become a permanent fixture during the Alpha shift on the bridge and even though he obligingly took her to his quarters every night. Spock never really showed her any more affection than he had that first night and according to everything he believed about humans, Lyra should have started getting rather annoyed with him a while ago. This didn't seem to be the case with Lyra. Lyra happily played with whoever wanted to pay her attention during the day on the bridge, giving out hugs as freely as she received them, but she also seemed quite content with Spock at night. She didn't seemed to mind his oblivious, distant attitude towards her. She still smiled at him just as she did all the rest. For the life of Spock, he just could not understand such a creature.

Lyra slept for almost ten straight hours about a week and half after her arrival, and knowing humans rejoiced when a child began sleeping through the night, Spock forgot about it. However, when he woke up at 4 AM the next morning, and walked over to Lyra's cot and realized her puckered lips had the same odd tinge to them as they had during her seizure, he wasted no time in taking her into his arms and sprinting towards the doors.

He didn't care who heard him as he ran through the hall yelling for Dr. McCoy. Even in the turbo lift on his way to the main level Spock continued yelling while eyeing the rapidly cooling child anxiously.

A bleary-eyed McCoy and Chapel met him as soon as the doors opened. The doctor took one look at the child in the nervous alien's arms and yanked her into his. "Dammit, Spock. What's you do now?"

"I assure you, Doctor, I have done nothing." Spock answered as he ran behind the trio. "I woke up 6.7 minutes ago and walked to her cot. I found her quite the same as she is now."

"She's not a damn cat, Spock! She doesn't have nine lives."

An eyebrow shot up. "That is quite obvious, doctor. It is also a myth. Felines do not have more than one life. It is impossible."

"Dammit, Spock," McCoy breathed as he laid the child on the closest bio-bed. Nurse Chapel headed straight for the instrument tray. "I know."

Spock stepped back to give the doctor room to work, but kept a watchful eye on the situation.

As soon as Nurse Chapel returned, she handed McCoy a hypospray filled with a amber coloured liquid, then another one filled with an emerald coloured liquid and then finally one a deep purple colour. Then stepped back and McCoy moved further up the bed to Lyra's eyes and gently forced them open. The whispered curse that quickly followed was not lost on Spock.

"May I inquire as to why you have cursed, Doctor?"

McCoy back away from the bed as if he'd been burned, took one look at Spock and then turned to Nurse Chapel and barked out his order. "Put her in quarantine! Now!"

Nurse Chapel nodded and quickly lifted the child into her arms and took off.

"Dr. McCoy, I'd appreciate it if you would answer my question."

McCoy, who had watched Nurse Chapel and Lyra until they disappear through another set of doors, turned to Spock and sighed. He advanced on the alien, placed his hand on his shoulder gently, and squeezed. "I've vaccinated her against everything I possibly can but it seems to already be too late."

Spock spied the hand on his shoulder for about a second and then raised his attention to the dark haired man he considered a close friend and inquired. "What do you mean?"

"She has Chickenpox, Spock."

"That is unlikely," he answered easily. "They were eradicated in the 22nd century, correct, doctor?"

"Yes, the Varicella Zoster virus was entirely done away with back then, but she's not from the 22nd century. Hell, I doubt she's from the 21st- she is still susceptible to everything a child from that time could have caught. Add that to everything floating about this ship and we've got a dreadfully sick little girl on our hands."

"I do not quite understand, doctor," Spock said. "Am I to believe that her surroundings are causing her harm?"

"They're doing a lot more than that, Spock. They're killing her."

Something flashed in the alien's eyes for a split second before he asked ordered McCoy in a curt manner to explain.

"The sudden and drastic changes to her environment, being on this ship, not eating her own food, not being vaccinated with the right medication, not being in her original timeline - all these things are killing her, Spock."

"How long does she have, doctor?"

The seemingly cold and unaffected tone of voice would have driven McCoy insane if it hadn't have come from Spock, but it had so he let it slide, and leans against the vacant Bio-bed and shakes his head. "Honestly I don't know. I should have seen it earlier. I should have realized something like this could have happened." He startled a bit when he felt Spock's hand on his shoulder.

"Self doubt will do no good in our present situation, doctor. Instead, may I request that you find some way to help her?"

"Yes," McCoy choked. "Yes, of course," and then allowed himself to be led to the back by Spock's guiding hand.

By the time they got to the entrance of the quarantine unit, Lyra was already stripped of her clothing and wrapped in a crisp white sheet that was double tucked just underneath her underarms. A feeding tube had been put in her nose and Nurse Chapel, dressed in a full quarantine suit and mask, was currently working on a set of IVs. When she turned and noticed them, she smiled and then turned back around and continued with her business.

"Wait!" McCoy exclaimed when he saw Spock reach for the sensor to open the door to the quarantine unit. "What are you doing?"

"She is my responsibility, doctor. I was merely going to watch over-"

"You can't go in there without a suit, Spock. Are you mad?"

"I do not see how-"

"Germs, man! Germs! You going in there would compromise her already weakened immune system."

Spock retreated almost immediately.

"Well, then, doctor, where would I attain a suit?"

McCoy pointed to a closet behind him. Spock nodded and headed towards it. Only to be called back a couple seconds later. "Never go anywhere near her without one!" The doctor tensed a bit as an agonized sigh passed through his lips. "At least not until I figure out what to do. Ok?"

Spock nodded ever so slightly and continued on his way.

Against the opinion of McCoy about going to work to get his mind off the situation with Lyra, Spock sat just beyond the quarantine area and just watched the hypnotic rise and fall of her tiny chest for the whole morning and most of the afternoon. He had spent a couple minutes in the area with her, but had exited soon after stating that the suit irritated his skin. McCoy had just been able to spy the telltale redness around his eyes before he quickly wiped them away, but refrained from speaking and just nodded and left him alone.

Now, thankfully, sleep had seemed to conquer his reserves. It also told anybody who had known Spock a long time just how much the little girl had gotten under his thick alien skin. In all the years McCoy had known Spock, not once had he seen Spock fall asleep. McCoy had always believed Spock thought it to be against the rules to fall asleep in public and yet here he was, with his head tilted back against the headrest of the chair, out cold. He'd probably wake up embarrassed, or whatever the equivalent to embarrassed was to a Vulcan. Therefore, McCoy would just have to pretend. He was good at pretending apparently.

**

_Spock's eyes shot open when he realized he had started listing to the side and was immediately met with the sight of a pair of pale, perfectly sculpted legs that seemed to go on forever and ever. He blinked and a delighted giggle followed. "Too much, Mr. Spock?" a voice asked. Spock straightened in the chair and turned his attention towards the voice. Standing just beyond him was a tall, lanky woman with sharp blue eyes and a tight, high ponytail of white blonde hair, wearing a blue variant of the usual female Starfleet uniform._

_She smirked slightly when their eyes met. "Hi."_

_"Hello," he returned as his eyes shot to the spot where Lyra's form should have been lying. He panicked somewhat when he saw nothing but a perfectly made bed in the quarantine area with no child on it or around it. "The child."_

_Her smirk grew into a smile. "She is quite alright, Mr. Spock. Do not worry."_

_"No," he said quickly, turning back to the empty bed. "You don't understand, I must watch her. It is my duty to watch her. She is my responsibility." Something made him choke on his next breath and he had to swallow hard once or twice before he could continue. "She is deathly ill."_

_"Mr. Spock-"_

_The woman's easy voice was lost on him as he went on. "I promised Dr. McCoy I would watch over her throughout the duration of the night."_

_"Mr. Spock-"_

_"I do not know what happened."_

_"Mr. Spock!"_

_Despite being taught the fear and the subsequent adrenaline, currently coursing through his system at the speed of light was to be utilized fully; all it seemed to do for Spock now was cloud his usually spotless judgement so severely it almost literally paralyzed him._

_"Mr. Spock, listen to me, the child is perfectly fine. You're just dreaming. She's still where she was when you fell asleep. She is no where but with you."_

_It took a couple seconds, but Spock's eyes eventually found hers again, but not even a full minute later, he averted his gaze once more and tilted his head in a vain attempt to alleviate some of the growing pressure behind his eyes. "No. that is impossible. I do not dream. You are lying. You must be."_

_"I'm not, Mr. Spock. I promise-"_

_"Yes."_

_"I'm not, Mr. Spock, I-"_

_"Yes. You have to be. Dreaming is-dreaming is illogical." He stuttered._

_If he had been watching her face he would have been able to see her roll her eyes. "Mr. Spock! Look at me!"_

_Spock jumped to attention immediately. Years of obedience beating out the burn of fear and rebellion._

_She smiled. "Now just breath, ok? In and out."_

_Spock nodded._

_"Good, now you must listen to me, I haven't much time. The child will be perfectly healthy in a few days. Dr. McCoy knows what he is doing."_

_Spock tortured brown eyes rose to met her soft blue ones as his brow furrowed. "But, how do you know this?"_

_Her face breaks into a grin, and the first pangs of familiarity start twisting around his stomach. "Who do I look like, Mr. Spock?"_

_"The child." He said without missing a beat. "You look like the child."_

_"That's because I am the child, Mr. Spock."_

_And there it was. For the first time in his life, Spock was certain he was going to faint._

_Grownup Lyra continued a few seconds later, allowing Spock, what she believed ample time to recover. "So, as you can see, the child does just fine. No side affects to be seen."_

_"You stay on the Enterprise."_

_"I do." He could hear the smile in her voice as well as see it on her face. "The Enterprise is re-commissioned quite a few times, actually; it's converted to Galaxy class in a few years to the chagrin of many. I grow up within it and eventually take over for Dr. McCoy when he finally realizes he must retire."_

_Spock can't help but puff his chest out with pride just a bit at the news of his charge becoming a doctor. "Who do you eventually chose to live with?"_

_Her grin grew to epic proportions as she informed him that she was looking at him. "You were always the only one for me, father."_

_"Father?" he spluttered. "You call me Father?"_

_Lyra's nod is easy. "I have many, many aunts and uncles, but only one Father. You."_

_Their joint attention drew to an overhead clock that hadn't been there before, as it began to drone out the time. He turned back to her just in time to see her body tense, much in the same way it had not three weeks ago. "You must go now."_

_Spock allowed this for a few seconds before s thought entered his unusually muttered mind and he shot up. "Your name, what is your name?"_

_"I'm named after a constellation in the Milky Way Galaxy. It's starts with 'L'."_

**

Spock's eyes shot open again, and yet again the first thing he spied was legs, but unlike last time they wore pants and were familiar. He raised his head just enough to meet the bemused eyes of Doctor McCoy. "Good Morning, Mr. Spock."

He slid forward in his chair and rubbed at his eyes. "I apologize for my behaviour, doctor-"

"What behaviour, Spock? You were tired so you slept. Can't fault a man for that. Even if he is an Alien."

"How is the child, doctor?"

McCoy smiled at the oblivious change of subject, but didn't call him out on it. "Oh Smiley's fine, just fine." He flipped her chart closed and smiled at the dishevelled alien. "Holding her own and that's all we could ask for in this stage of the game."

"I believe her name is Lyra, doctor."

McCoy's eyebrows disappeared into his hairline. "You believe, Mr. Spock? That doesn't sound at all like your usual self assured self."

The look Spock gave the doctor could have only been conveyed as contempt as he rose from his chair and tucked his hands behind his back. "Her name is Lyra."

"Right then, I can erase Smiley from her chart and input a real name. No doubt everyone will be pleased." Spock couldn't understand how McCoy was so happy just because he had chosen a name. It was merely a word, nothing that truly impeded a person from functioning...odd human belief apparently.

"You should go get in a couple hours of work on the bridge, Spock. Maybe get your mind off Smile-Lyra here for a while." McCoy's smile fell flat but that didn't deter him from his mission to get Spock away at least for a while. "C'mon, Spock. Doctor's orders!"

"I have checked in with the Captain several times in the past hours, each time he has said I may remain here if I wished."

"And you wish, I presume?"

Spock nodded, "indeed."

"Great," McCoy said, rolling his eyes skyward and crossing his arms over his chest.

Spock watched the display with a cocked eyebrow. "Doctor, I do not know why you see fit to remove me from my position. I am not in the way of nurses."

"Because Spock!" McCoy exclaimed. "You've done nothing but sit in that chair for almost three straight days, hell man! You haven't even eaten. It isn't healthy!"

"I did not think I would have to remind you, Doctor, that Vulcan's do not require sustenance as often as humans."

"Damn it, Spock; just go get a plate of chips or something! Give yourself a rest!"

"My rest has been sufficient, Doctor, there is no need to bother yourself with wanton thoughts."

"It's not needless!" McCoy countered. "No person, man or alien should stay so stationary for as long."

"If you are worried about circulation, doctor, I assure you that I will not be harmed from sitting for such a long duration of time," at the even blue eyed stare Spock continued, "but, if it will appease you I will walk a few rounds of Sickbay."

"Walking is fine, Spock, but not sickbay, try a few levels and then come back. I'll leave you alone-"

"Sickbay is all I am currently going to do, in the words of our Captain, doctor, "take it or leave it.""

"But, Spock, I don't-" McCoy then sighed and acquiesced. "Fine, but no less than 10 laps, spread between 2-5 minute breaks, ya hear?"

"I shall try my best, Doctor."

"No try, Spock. Do."

Spock nodded and effortlessly rose from his chair as if he hadn't been sitting in the same spot for almost three days. McCoy watched him rise and rolled his tired eyes skyward and then muttered under his breath, "some people have all the luck."

**

Four days later saw the same scene, Lyra was still heavily sedated, covered in angry red blotches and a mess of liquid McCoy had found the formula for in the Memory banks, something called calamine lotion, and Spock still sat just beyond the Quarantine area. However, McCoy could see the beginnings of stress induced wrinkles forming around the Vulcan's eyes. He could only guess how much stress Spock must have been under for it to become visible.

The Vulcan looked up when McCoy came around his shoulder. McCoy smiled in spite of the tenseness in the air, "well, Spock, Smiley is getting better, but still not sure when she'll-"

Suddenly every sensor hooked up to the Quarantine area started buzzing madly. Spock nearly ran the poor doctor over in his attempt to get to the door first. Luckily, just as he was about to force open the airlock McCoy's hand landed on his shoulder. "It's ok, Spock! Everything's fine! The buzzers are a warning that she's starting to wake up. "

"She may still be in distress." Spock rushed. "I must-"

McCoy slid his hand down the tense Vulcan's arm and squeezed. "What did I say about entering that room with nothing on, Spock? Totally disobeying my orders may set her back several days and several treatments!" He fixed his Alien friend with an even stare. "Do you really wanna risk that?"

Spock relaxed and McCoy moved his hand away. "No," McCoy said. "I didn't think so."

Spock squeezed the handle of the door on the Quarantined area once before letting his arm drop completely. "I apologize, Doctor." he bowed his head and then shook it. "I do not know what or why I am reacting in such an illogical manner."

"No worries, Spock," the doctor flashed him a smile and then laughed outright. "You're acting like this because you love her. Love can make a man do crazy things."

"Love is a human emotion, doctor. I do not-"

"Love is universal, Spock, don't try to tell me it isn't." McCoy retorted. "If it wasn't you wouldn't be standing here apologizin' to me."

Spock's eyes fluttered but that was the only reaction McCoy got before Spock redirected the conversation. "When do you think she will wake up, Doctor?"

"Oh, not too long now, Spock," McCoy smiled knowingly. "Not too long."

Spock blinked and then looked through the glass door to the prone form of the toddler and swallowed.

"She's just like you already, Spock. Always has to prove me wrong." McCoy chuckled. "Lord help me."

Spock continued to stare, not acknowledging the doctor at all. His eyes locked onto her chest once more and let the shallow, but even respirations calm his horribly frazzled nerves. _–Get well soon, child.-_

-END-


	3. Return of the Tot

Title: Return of the Tot  
Author: AtticusFinchFan  
Warnings: None  
Summary: Lyra's released from sickbay, gains mobility, meets Amanda, and is welcomed back to the bridge…what a day.  
A/N: Unbetaed. I'm at work right now, but just wanted to get this posted. I'll fix it later.

* * *

This is the end:

Lyra spent the remainder of the week and the beginning of the following one in with the general population in Sickbay. Many, many people visted. Some stayed for hours on end, but they all eventually left. Only one stayed. Sat in the same chair he had permanently occupied for almost a week, only days ago, Spock watched over the toddler. He'd swat her hands away if they were poised to scratch, as per the instructions of Dr. McCoy, or tell her off gently if he managed to catch her when she thought she was stealthy enough to scratch before he saw.

When Dr. McCoy verified that Lyra was not contagious or susceptible any longer, and after giving Chapel and McCoy ample time to say their goodbyes to the spotted toddler, Spock wasted no time in taking Lyra and disappearing to his quarters. All he had wanted was a fresh bowl of Plomeek soup and a comfortable bed. Not to say that he wasn't grateful to Dr. McCoy for allowing him to stay with Lyra for the duration of her treatment, but even a Vulcan could only take so much of sleeping erect in a high back chair before his body started rebelling. His had. The first pangs had started a few days ago and had slowly escalated. It would take a short meditation session to work out some mental and physical kinks sometime after Lyra fell asleep that night before Spock knew he would be able to attempt the bed.

Setting the toddler down, Spock headed directly for the mysterious box which sat precariously on the edge of his desk, and of which he was absolutely certain hadn't been there when he had been in his quarters last. He gave the tag attached a cursory glance_. _"_To: Blondie From: Everyone on Alpha shift._" And then quickly lifted the lid. Inside, wrapped neatly within beige tissue paper was a miniature replica of the standard female Uniform in Science Blue. Attached to the collar was a note, written (actually written on real paper) from the Captain to Spock, telling him that it may not fit right that minute, but it should in a couple weeks and that if he was coming to work the next day, could he please put her in it? Even if it didn't fit because he, along with most bridge crew, was dying to see it on her.

A small intake of breath from behind him had him turning on a dime towards Lyra. She looked at Spock, smiled her infectious (if he hadn't been a Vulcan he would have been infected) grin and gasped again as she started rocking back and forth on her heavily padded behind. "Oh!" tiny fingers found her mouth, but before Spock moved to remove her fingers, Lyra yanked them from her mouth with a wet pop and without missing a beat, she grabbed the edge of the side table beside her with both hands and effortlessly pulled herself to her feet. For the first couple seconds she wobbled slightly on but adjusted her grip and held tight until she was sure of herself and then turned to Spock and grinned again. "Awe," she cooed, "baby."

Eyebrow met hairline as Spock answered. "Indeed."

-=-

A couple hours later, as Spock watched Lyra hobble around, a nervous sounding Ensign's voice permeated the room suddenly.

"Commander Spock here, Ensign, go ahead."

"A call for you, sir, from Vulcan."

"I'll accept it. Please thread it through to my quarters."

"Right, sir." And then the Ensign was gone.

He took a final glance in Lyra's direction and then quickly moved towards the vidscreen. It flickered a couple times and then flashed and suddenly he was eye to eye with his mother. His eyebrow raised a fraction of a millimeter, his mother smiled. They were both obviously quite pleased to see each other.

"Mother," he said in an even tone.

Amanda's smile grew. "Hello, Spock."

"I trust everything is well."

She nodded. "Just fine, thank you, Spock." Amanda sobered somewhat as the sparkle in her eye grew. "Spock, I heard the most wonderful news, I was just contacting you to see if it was true."

It didn't take a Jim to know what she meant. "The child?"

Her eyes grew wide in time with her grin. "So it's true! Oh, Spock, that's wonderful! Is it there with you now? May I see it?"

"Her name is Lyra, mother." He said easily as he turned a bit in his chair and called Lyra to him. Unsurprisingly, Lyra wobbled her way over to him without so much as a fuss. When he had the toddler seat safely in his lap he turned his chair back towards the vidscreen. It only took Amanda a second to react, even less time for Lyra to reach towards the screen with wet hands. "Oh Spock," she laughed affectionately, pressing her hand against the screen in time with Lyra's. Lyra blinked once, twice, and then realized her hands were being followed by the person on the screen and threw her head back as her body convulsed in a full bodied giggle.

Spock watched the affection flitter clear across his mother's face in fascination. "She's adorable."

"Yes," Spock agreed. "as I have been told by several members of the crew."

"How did she get aboard ship?"

"We are, as of yet, uncertain. Mr. Scott found her a couple of earth weeks prior one morning when he came on duty. We believe she is from Earth's distant past."

"What a wonderful mystery." Amanda's lips pursed for a moment and then her head tilted ever so slightly. "Spock, has that child had an infection recently?"

"Ah, very good eye, mother." Spock complimented and eyed the top of Lyra's blonde head. "She has in fact just gotten over a strain of the Varicella Zoster virus."

"I knew it! Chicken Pox!"

"She became deathly ill." Spock confirmed.

Amanda's smile quickly morphed into a frown as she eyed Lyra. "Poor dear."

Something caught the toddler's attention and her eyes were suddenly on the screen, staring straight at Amanda. Like the woman hadn't been there, visible and talking about her for the past number of minutes. Lyra gasped slightly, "hi!"

Amanda Laughed. "Hi Lyra, how are you?"

"Mother I do not believe she can fully grasp what you mean."

"I know, Spock," she smiled gently. "There's no harm in trying though."

Lyra stared wide eyed for a bit and then gasped again and pointed at her chest. "Baby!"

"You are, that's right." Amanda smiled at the toddler and then pointed to Spock. "Spock is my baby."

Nobody seemed to notice Spock's ears as they turned a rather deep shade of green. "Mother…"

Lyra gasped yet again. "'Pock! Baby!?"

"That's right, Lyra! Good girl! I'm Spock's mother."

"Awe," Lyra cooed as she craned her neck up to eye Spock, who was looking down at her. "'Pock, baby. Ma."

His cheeks quickly tinged as Amanda laughed out loud. "She's incredibly quick, Spock. Even if I am just saying so myself."

The two adults continued to talk for a while until a large, loud yawn interrupted them. Spock looked down at the toddler just in time to see her tiny face contort almost comically. Amanda smiled softly. "Looks like we're keeping someone up, wouldn't you say Spock?"

Spock nodded in agreement. "As it would seem."

The toddler blinked a few times and then gently settled against Spock's chest and shoved her fingers in her mouth; much to the chagrin of the Vulcan. "I apologize, mother. This is an extremely recent development." He admitted quietly, not looking his mother in the eye.

"Don't worry, dear." Amanda soothed. "She'll grow out of it. All children develop a bedtime quirk. You use to incessantly rub your left ear when you were tired."

"I do hope you are right. Her actions would be quite unbecoming when she grows."

"Do you think she'll be around that long?"

"I do not know, but I do not believe Mr. Scott currently knows how to even attempt to return her to her time."

"Well I hope she stays a while. Your father hasn't seen her yet."

If Spock had been human his eyes would have rolled skyward in reaction to her statement.

"And she's good for you."

Spock continued without missing a beat. "I have to go, Mother, I shall talk later."

Amanda smiled knowingly before bidding her son goodbye.

-=-

The next morning, with her blonde hair in small pigtails and dressed in her tiny uniform, Lyra wobbled onto the bridge with Spock walking slowly besides her holding her hand.

Uhura was the first to notice the couple as they exited the lift. But, as soon as the woman smiled everyone turned. Jim grinned at the sight and jumped from his chair. "Well, I'll be."

"Yes," Chekov agreed in his broken English. "I did not know Devushka could walk yet."

"I assure you, Mr. Chekov," Spock answered, looking down at Lyra with a quirked eyebrow. "This is quite a recent development. As soon as we returned from Sickbay last evening I put her down and a mere five minutes later she was standing, holding tight to a corner of a table. She managed to reach her cot last evening with only a hand for assistance."

"Oh Spock! That's Fabulous!" Uhura exclaimed, getting up from her seat. She smiled slowly as she knelt to Lyra's level. Upon realizing who it was infront of her, Lyra grinned and raised her arms, which meant she let go of Spock's hand and promptly fell on her bum. Shocked by the sudden change Lyra dropped her arms again and just stared. Uhura laughed out loud and took the child into her arms. "Such a big girl, eh Sweetheart?" She readjusted the drooping collar of Lyra's dress and grinned. "And in such a nice outfit."

"Yes, I believe I must thank you. Your kindness is appreciated."

"Oh Spock, it was nothing." Uhura said.

"Yeah," Jim agreed. "I think we had more fun ordering it than was necessary, but it was worth it. She looks great."

"Blue seems to be her colour, doesn't it Spock?" Sulu smiled.

Suddenly remembering his dream Spock could do nothing but nod his head ever so slightly. "It would seem to be, Mr. Sulu, you are correct."

"Yeah, well," Uhura interjected in a false indignant tone of voice. "Don't let that stop you from anything you want to do, Sweetheart. I bet red would look good, if not better on you."

"Here, here!" Scotty, who had yet to make his presence known, agreed loudly and proudly.

Jim looked over at him and rolled his eyes with a smirk on his face.

"If you would do so, Uhura, Lyra must go into her pen so I can see to my work."

"Sure Spock."

Uhura spun quickly on her heels to the delight of Lyra and then stomped towards the playpen. "Let's go, Sweetheart," she carefully lowered Lyra. "You have to go in here for now until its time to go home again with Spock, ok?"

"'Pock!" Lyra mimicked.

Uhura laughed and kissed her forehead gently before straightening her back. "Yeah, Spock."

Jim watched the exchange with a fond smile on his face, and then when Uhura had turned back to her station, he leaned towards Lyra and whispered in her ear. "It's good to have ya back, Blondie."

-END-


End file.
